Compartmentalized carton

ABSTRACT

A carton formed of paper or corrugated board having four side walls folded to form a rectangular section with four bottom flaps attached thereto. Two opposing bottom flaps are provided with integral partition panels for dividing the carton into four compartments thereby increasing the carton&#39;&#39;s stacking strength.

I nlted States Patent [1 1 [111 3,825,174 Booth, Jr. July 23, 1974 [541COMPARTMENTALIZED CARTON 2,747,785 /1956 1 [73] Assignee: ContinentalCan Company, Inc., Primary Examiner-Wil1iam 1. Price New York, NY.Assistant Exqminer-Stephen Marcus [22] Filed June 22 1972 Attorney,Agent, or' Firm-Diller, Brown, Ramik &

- W ht 211 Appl. No.: 265,376

57 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 229/28 R, 229/ 1 [51] Int. Cl B65d 5/48 Aformed of Paper of corrugated. board havlng [58] Field f Search 229/15,23 R, 23 BC, 29 D, four side walls folded to form a rectangular section229/39 R, 42; 22O/115 with four bottom flaps attached thereto. Twoopposing bottom flaps are provided with integral partition pan- [56]References Cited els for dividing the carton into fotlr compartmentsUNITED STATES PATENTS thereby increasing the carton s stacking strength.2,634,042 4/1953 Blatt et al. 229/28 R 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 60 asgas 6 2 6? Q 7 0 71 72 .73 l-1e- T;

Li Q M i E I l l H l J; 3? Z1 a? 2i E 22 i l 401.. 44 4| 42 45 q 5 F 56I up. 26 g I 1 2 28 I 1 .COMPARTMENTAIJIZED CARTON BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to cartonszformed of paper orcorrugated board. :More particularly, it relates to containers havingdividers for compartmentalizing the interior of the container.

THE PRIOR ART Compartmentalized board containers normally comprise acontainer and dividers formed of separate pieces of container board.Such requires separate manufacture, shipment and assembly of the cartonand the divider sections. In an effort to overcome these disadvantages,U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,785 issuing to Raymond E. Fink on May 29, 1956suggests the use of integral dividers with a carton blank. The patenteediscloses a container having four sides with bottomflaps attachedthereto. Two of these flaps carry partition panels which are partiallysevered horizontally along a mid-section. When folded inside of the'boxstructure, the extended sections above the cut may rotate to rest uponthe other section with the upper edges of each of these divider portionacting as a carrying handle. However, the resulting construction doesnot provide full partitions for each of thecompartments, nor does itseem to substantially enhance the stacking capacity of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to provide a more desirable container,the instant invention includes a box blank with four vertical side wallshaving integral bottom flaps attached thereto. Carried by two of theopposing bottom flaps are two divider panels having substantially thesame dimension as the bottom flap to which it is attached. A cutparallel to the bottom edge of the side wall extends between the flapand thedivider for approximately one half of the width of the flap.Additionally the remaining two bottom flaps are out along their centerline perpendicular to the'side wall. After folding the four side wallsinto a box shape, the bottom flaps are folded at a right angle to theside wall portion so as to close the bottom thereof while the dividerpanels extend into the interior of the carton. Subsequently, eachdivider panels is folded along a vertical crease line so as to form aright angle and to divide the compartment into four separatecompartments. The folded portions of the divider panels extend the fulldepth of the container and provide both a'self-locking characteristicfor the bottom of the box and additional vertical loading capacity.

Accordingly, it is anobject of the instant invention to provide acontainer made of container board or other relatively rigidmaterialwhichcan be formed into a box shape and provided with divider portions whichboth compartmentalize the interior of the container as well as enhanceitsvertical stacking strength. Additionally, it is an object of thisinvention to provide a carton blank foldable into. the describedcompartmentalized container. which utilizes a minimum amount ofmaterial. Similarly, itisanobject of the instant invention. to provide acompartmentalized container having a selflocking feature withoutrequiring any substantial amount of set-up time for forming thecontainer from the blank.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The manner in which the objects of thisinvention is obtained will be made clear by aconsiderationoftheAfollowing specification and claims when taken "in conjunction with thedrawings in which: I

F IG. -1 is aplan view depictingthe *box blank which forms apreferredembodimentof the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carton ofthis ernbodiment in apartially assembled condition;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a carton in its final stage of assembly; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view "of the instant embodimentin its assembledform.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION The completed carton of the instant invention isdepicted in FIG. 4 which illustrates a preferred embodiment of myinvention. Thishcontainer has four side walls 12, 13, 14 and 15, abottom closure formed of invention of FIG. 4 may be formed isillustrated more particularly in FIG. 1 while FIGS. 2 and 3 describe thepreferred mode of assembly to achieve the finish prod- UCt.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a blank is cut from paper or corrugatedboardso as to form four side panels 12, 13, 14 and 15 separated by threevertical scores 16, 17 and 18. lntegrally attached to one side panel 15is a flap 20 which may be glued or stitched to panel 12 upon folding ofthe side panels into a rectangular section in a conventional manner.Integrally carried by each of these side walls are top flaps 60, 61, 62and 63 which are used to form a top closure for the container. Asindicated, these top flaps are separated from one another by verticalcuts 65, 66 and 67 and are delinated from the side panels by horizontalcrease lines 71,72 and 73, such a top closure being conventional.

At the lower marginal edge of each of the side walls 12 through 15 is abottom flap denoted by the numbers 25, 26 27 and 28 which are separatedfrom the side walls by a crease lines 32, 33, 34' and 35 and separatedfrom each other by vertical cuts 40, 4'1- and42. Two of the opposedbottom flaps (26 and 28-) have vertical cuts 44 and 45 extending fromthe lower marginal edge upward to the crease lines 33 and 35 to divideeach flap into two portions 26a and 26b; 28a and 28b:

The remaining two flaps 25 and 27 are alsointegrally formed with theside walls 12 and I4; andare delinated therefrom by a crease lines 32and34' to facilitate folding them at a degree angle to the side walls.Each of these flaps extend the width of the side walls and-has onehalfthe width of the formed con- 3 partition panels into two halves 50a,50b, 52a and 52b.

The manner in which this box blank is formed into the desiredcompartmentalized container of FIG. 4 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.In FIG. 2, the four side walls 12 through 15 have been folded along thecrease lines l6, l7 and 18 to form a rectangular section, with the glueflap 20 being attached to the inner edge of the side wall 12 so as torigidify the four side walls into boxlike structure. As shown in FIG. 2,the box structure has been turned up-side-down to assemble the bottomportion. Here the two flaps 26 and 28 having the cuts 44 and 45 thereinare folded at 90 degrees to their respective side walls. Subsequently,the partition panels 50 and 52 are passed through the cuts 44 and 45.Subsequently, as the divider panels pass all the way into the interiorof the box shaped structure, the bottom panels and 27 are bent at a 90degree angle to the sidewalls along their crease lines 32 and 34, thusproviding the container with a solid bottom portion.

Referring now to FIG. 3 in which the divider panels 50 and 52 have beenextended completely into the interior of the carton, it can be seen thatthey initially divide same into two elongated compartments. At thispoint, the divider portions 50b and 52b are rotated in clockwisedirection along the crease lines 57 and 58 respectively with the cuts 55and 56 permitting such rotary movement. Upon the completion of thisrotation the separate portions of these panels are at right angles withone another and the container is compartmentalized into fourcompartments. Since two of the divider panel portions 50b and 52b arefolded at 90 degrees to rest upon the end panels 25 and 27 respectively,they are self locking and will not open unless the rotated panelportions 50b and 52b are crushed. Further it should be noticed that thedivider panels 50 and 52 extend the entire depth of the container andact as columns to increase the stacking strength of the container.

Although the self-locking feature of the instant invention justdescribed is sufficient for carrying light articles such as emptyplastic bottles, the bottom of the container may be closed byconventional adhesive tape when utilized to package heavier articles.

From this discussion, it should be evident that applicant has proferreda compartmentalized container which is simple and economic tomanufacture and to assemble. Although as shown, the carton has aboxshape, but it may be of an oblong construction if desired.Additionally, the self-locking feature may be obtained even though thedivider panels do not extend thefull depth of the container.

What is claimed is: l. A carton formed of a container board comprising:

a. four side walls folded at right angles to one another to form ahollow box shape;

b. two end panels attached to the bottom portion of two of said sidewalls opposite one another and folded inwardly at right angles to theside walls to which they are attached; each of said end panels being cutat its center in a direction perpendicular to the side wall;

0. two other end panels attached to the bottom portion of the other twoof said side walls and folded inwardly at right angles to the side wallto which they are attached;

d. partition panels attached to said other end panels and passingthrough said cut end panels into the interior of the carton formed bythe four walls, said partition panels being partially severed from saidother end panels whereby the severed portion may be folded at degrees tothe remaining portion so as to define four cells within said carton, and

e. said partition panels extend the depth of the carton.

2. A container blank adapted to be folded into a boxshape containercomprising:

a. a rectangular blank of container board divided four panels byvertical crease lines;

b. four bottom flaps carried by said four panels and separated therefromby horizontal crease lines;

c. two of said bottom flaps each at an opposite side of one of said fourbottom flaps having vertical cuts therein which are perpendicular tosaid crease lines;

d. said one flap and the remaining of said bottom flaps carrying dividerpanels having a width equal to that of the flap, but separated therefromby a horizontal cut for one half the width, said carton being foldableinto a box-shape structure with a self locking bottom closure formed ofthe four bottom flaps and the divider panels,

e. and a pair of crease lines normal to each other in each divider panelintersecting each other at an inboard end of their associated horizontalcuts with one of said pair of crease lines forming a coincidentextension of its associated horizontal cut.

into

1. A carton formed of a container board comprising: a. four side wallsfolded at right angles to one another to form a hollow box shape; b. twoend panels attached to the bottom portion of two of said side wallsopposite one another and folded inwardly at right angles to the sidewalls to which they are attached; each of said end panels being cut atits center in a direction perpendicular to the side wall; c. two otherend panels attached to the bottom portion of the other two of said sidewalls and folded inwardly at right angles to the side wall to which theyare attached; d. partition panels attached to said other end panels andpassing through said cut end panels into the interior of the cartonformed by the four walls, said partition panels being partially severedfrom said other end panels whereby the severed portion may be folded at90 degrees to the remaining portion so as to define four cells withinsaid carton, and e. said partition panels extend the depth of thecarton.
 2. A container blank adapted to be folded into a box-shapecontainer comprising: a. a rectangular blank of container board dividedinto four panels by vertical crease lines; b. four bottom flaps carriedby said four panels and separated therefrom by horizontal crease lines;c. two of said bottom flaps each at an opposite side of one of said fourbottom flaps having vertical cuts therein which are perpendicular tosaid crease lines; d. said one flap and the remaining of said bottomflaps carrying divider panels having a width equal to that of the flap,but separated therefrom by a horizontal cut for one half the width, saidcarton being foldable into a box-shape structure with a self lockingbottom closure formed of the four bottoM flaps and the divider panels,e. and a pair of crease lines normal to each other in each divider panelintersecting each other at an inboard end of their associated horizontalcuts with one of said pair of crease lines forming a coincidentextension of its associated horizontal cut.